A new and improved outboard motor boat having an upwardly projecting cantilever shaped central transom portion positioned centrally between a port side through transom walkway and a starboard side through transom walkway on either side of the central transom portion and on the side of the outboard motor position.
In the past outboard motor boats have been constructed with various transom configurations and walkways. The Niemeyer U.S. Pat. No. 688,672 discloses a transom with a platform extending from stern of the boat. The Niemeyer platform extends from the port side of the boat to the starboard side of the boat to aid movement into and from the boat. The platform is below the water line of the boat. Other boats have utilized swimming platform brackets extending for a transom. Swimming platform brackets are shown in the Richards et al. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 253,999. Another type of platform or walkway used in the past over boat transoms is shown in the Parsons' U.S. Pat. No. Des. 267,866. The Parsons' patent is for a trimaran boat having a step down walkway in the aft portion of the boat without an entrance way through the transom to the main aft deck portion. The Hupp U.S. Pat. No. Des. 184,176 and the Hanel U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,229 show rearward extension portions above the rear transom without an entranceway through the transom to the main aft deck portion. A convertible boat with upper portion is shown in the Ferrell U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,248 shows hinged port and starboard gate type portions. The Ferrell boat does not have walkways through the boat transom. The Guillen vessel that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,301 shows a side walkway for use as working platform in a porpoise evacuation boat.
Many yatchs have had a single walkway through the upper portion of the transom for access onto the aft deck of the yatch. However, such through walkways have heretofore been used only in connection with inboard-powered boats. Walkways through a transom have not been employed with outboard-powered boats because the outboard engine is typically attached by means of a mounting bracket to the transom. As a consequence, the convenience of a walk-through transom has been denied owners of outboard-powered boats. Further, the mechanical components, particularly those associated with the upper "head" of an outboard motor are often difficult to reach or inspect from the cockpit of an outboard-powered boat, as the motor is typically mounted a substantial distance to the rear of the transom. This forces the operator of the boat to lean over the transom in order to inspect or adjust the components of the outboard engine.